ATNE Tournament, Round 1: 4. Jeep v. 13. HeartbreakKidd

[JeepCSC]

All-Time Non-Elite Tournament. Write-ups to follow.

[Owly]

Team Seed Pick Team Seed Pick
JeepCSC 4 16 HeartBreakKidd 13 4
Steph Curry 1 16 Julius Erving 1 4
Scottie Pippen 2 17 Tracy McGrady 2 29
Robert Parish 3 48 Arvydas Sabonis 3 36
Rasheed Wallace 4 49 Bob Pettit 4 61
David Thompson 5 80 Mike Conley 5 68
Tex Winter 6 81 Damian Lillard 6 93
Dave DeBusschere 7 112 Red Holzman 7 100
Dennis Johnson 8 113 Charles Oakley 8 125
Tony Parker 9 144 George Mikan 9 132
Ralph Sampson 10 145 Byron Scott 10 157
Connie Hawkins 11 176 Paul Arizin 11 164

4
JeepCSC
Robert Parish
Rasheed Wallace
Scottie Pippen
David Thompson
Steph Curry

Ralph Sampson
Dave DeBusschere
Connie Hawkins
Dennis Johnson
Tony Parker

Coach: Tex Winter

Spoiler:

Well I'll do my part now while waiting for decision makers. We should at least have you post your team, though some have them in their signature already. I guess coaching strategy will come in with the write ups. So I'll do simply a hype post about my squad.

Talent is what talent does, but my team also likes to win. All but one have started in a ABA/NBA Finals game (over 160 Finals game starts between them all actually), and the one who hasn't will win MVP this year. They can all play multiple positions and multiple roles. They all excel at doing the little things that makes a team better. They are quite simply the most talented glue-team ever assembled.

I would add simply that this is a scorer's league, and no team has a better collection of scorers than mine. Every player can score, score a lot and efficiently. There will be no 4-on-5 lineups where I'm at the disadvantage. All are willing passers, some elite at it, there is no ball-stopper to be found. You can't load up on any one of my players and watch my offense stall or crumble. Anyone can score at anytime from anywhere on the court. That kind of seamless basketball offense will always trump even a great defense. A ball travels faster than a player, and we will put that maxim to good use.

Saying that, I didn't ignore defense. Rasheed can defend either big spot extremely well, Pippen is perhaps the GOAT perimeter defender, the rest of my starters are good man defenders, and my bench provides flexibility with some outstanding defenders. I will not win games with my defense alone, but I won't lose them because of it either.

One thought to remember, this isn't about the best careers. If it was, I'd bust out. Knees, drugs, gambling, my team took it on the chin and careers were ruined as a result. But this is about peaks, and peaks are very good for my team. I have several who are in the HOF on the strength of their peaks alone. I'd argue there is probably no team better than mine once you factor in peaks. Most seem to have gone the route of finding role players to fill in. I went with superstar talents who were willing to take diminished roles to fill in the holes, and I think the difference will be apparent when the benches play.

At any rate, peak Rasheed could battle peak Duncan and peak KG to draws, peak Pippen is a better #2 than anyone else's #2 because he is the definition of second banana, peak Thompson has a strong case against most any shooting guard peaks outside 3 or 4 (two of whom are unavailable), peak Curry might be in the conversation for top 5 point guard peaks in my lifetime, peak Hawkins was arguably top 5 most talented scorers of the '60s. We never got to see peak Sampson because of injuries and him playing out-of-position after 1984, but he had the tools to be one of the best players ever and even in his shortened career we saw enough that he remains one of the most skilled centers to ever play.


PG: 2013-2015 Stephen Curry- 1 x second-team All-NBA, 2 x All-Star;

Will at all times be the best shooter on the floor; the fact that he is about as smart a point guard there has been ain't too bad either. A commitment to the Triangle will allow Curry's strengths to be maximized and his limitations to be, well, limited. He will be the leader of my team.

SG: 1976-1978 David Thompson- 2 x first-team All-NBA, 1 x second-team All-ABA, 4 x All-Star, HOF;

Walton was a 2-time POY in college and yet he did not win either POY or a title as a senior (ending a 7-year title run) because of this guy; he brought his talents to the ABA and went toe-to-toe with peak Dr. J (albeit in a loss). He continued his success in the transition to the NBA, providing an efficient electrifying shooting guard model within the framework of a fully functional offense that would capture the imaginations of a generation. The closest my team has to a go-to scorer, he will however not be shooting for the league scoring title here, and will be used simply as a piece of the offensive puzzle.

SF: 1994-1996 Scottie Pippen- 3 x first-team All-NBA, 2 x second-team All-NBA, 2 x third-team All-NBA, 8 x All-D first team, 2 x All-D second team, 7 x All-Star, HOF;

His help defense and ability to run an elite offense make him priceless, he is the Swiss-army knife of superstars. He is the personification of hard-working glue men that my team represents. He can and will do whatever it takes to help the team win.

PF: 2001-2003 Rasheed Wallace- 4 x All-Star;

The prototypical power forward in today's game, he can score from anywhere, and he can defend anyone. While I picked his Portland years as his peak, I realize he was not utilized then as well as he was with the Pistons. We will fix that here. He will not be my primary weapon on offense, and he will flourish without the added responsibility. Any untimely run-in with a virtual ref will merely cause me to go to Hawkins/Debusschere a bit more as I see fit, something that sounds a-ok to me.

C: 1981-1983 Robert Parish- 1 x second-team All-NBA, 1 x third-team All-NBA, 9 x All-Star, HOF;

The solidly efficient back line to my front court, he can rebound, score and battle. The most overlooked third of the greatest front court in history, he will the yang to Wallace's yin. His range to 12-15 feet will keep the best big defenders off-balance just enough for Thompson/Curry and company to have a field day penetrating.

Bench:
2011-2013 Tony Parker- 3 x second-team All-NBA, 1 x third-team All-NBA, 6 x All-Star, Finals MVP;

Can run an elite offense, is elite at attacking the basket and hitting from mid-range. He is ideal to give Curry some rest and keep my offense humming along.

1980-1982 Dennis Johnson- 1 x first-team All-NBA, 1 x second-team All-NBA, 6 x All-D first-team, 3 x All-D second-team, 5 x All-Star, Finals MVP, HOF;

A do-it-all combo guard who brings a physical defensive presence. Magic's kryptonite (at least for one Finals), he was also trusted to take a clutch shot on a team with Bird and McHale. He could change his style to fit which ever contender he was on. The type of player every team should have at least one of (or three or four of).

1969-1971 Dave DeBusschere- 1 x second-team All-NBA, 6 x All-D first-team, 8 x All-Star, HOF;

My frontcourt counterpoint to Johnson, he could battle well with Wilt or Baylor. He was well-suited for today's game, a forward with range and a willingness to pass.

1969-1971 Connie Hawkins- 1 x first-team All-NBA, 2 x first-team All-ABA, ABA MVP, ABA playoff MVP, 5 x All-Star, HOF;

A forward ahead of his time, even if we saw only glimpses of what his peak could have been. He could attack the basket with relish, and no one was stopping him. Might be the best player on my team peak-wise, and that is only counting ABA whereas perhaps his true peak was lost with the Globetrotters.

1984-1986 Ralph Sampson- 1 x second-team All-NBA, 4 x All-Star, HOF;

A center so talented he thought he was a guard. But we will stick to what he is best at here, a defensive center presence which provides nightmarish mismatches offensively.

Coach: Tex Winter- Wrote the blueprint which built dynasties. They say it wasn't the triangle, it was merely the talent. I say let's try both.

13
HeartBreakKidd
Arvydas Sabonis
Bob Pettit
Julius Erving
Tracy McGrady
Mike Conley

George Mikan
Charles Oakley
Paul Arizin
Byron Scott
Damian Lillard

Coach: Red Holzman

Isn't the draft over, why can't we just start?

[JeepCSC]

Good writers borrow, great writers steal. Whether I borrowed or stole is a matter of opinion, but the aping of the '90s Bulls was intentional. Pippen, Tex, 70s version of Jordan, even added Parish (this time in his prime) for good measure. While I will not always be the most talented team on the court, Coach Winter will try to impart a system that will maximize my team's abilities while smoothing over some of the more egregious flaws. This will likely be a purer form of the Triangle than ever utilized in the league.

Offensively, we will follow the 7 principles of the Triangle.


1. The offense must penetrate the defense- Pippen-Curry-Parish will play as the base of the Triangle, Parish in the post and Curry in the corner. The Thompson-Wallace duo will be on the weak-side. Pippen will initiate the offense, Curry will run it, but Thompson will be pivotal here. His ability to drive the lane will be key to keeping the defense off-balanced.

2. The offense must involve a full-court game- When we have the chance, we will run. All my players can get out in transition, though Parish on the boards and Pippen/Curry on steals will be the main guys starting the fast break.

3. The offense must provide proper spacing- All my players are willing passers and good shooters. Obviously Curry will be the ultimate cheat code for spacing, but all my players have range. We will let space do half the work for us. A ball travels faster than a player, so we will let it do it's thing. And as a great philosopher once said, the ball don't lie.

4. The offense must ensure player and ball movement with a purpose- My team is full of smart players, smart enough to realize team play is their strength. Every pass and cut will be in search of the best possible shot.

5. The offense must provide strong rebounding positioning and good defensive balance on all shots- Parish is one of the all-time great rebounders, both offensively and defensively. We can only hope Wallace picks up some pointers, but otherwise Pippen will be positioning himself to contest any fast break opportunities the opposition tries to run.

6. The offense must give the player with the ball an opportunity to pass the ball to any of his teammates- Pippen and Curry will share ball-handling duties, but any player here can be trusted to find the open teammate as the defense commits. Exploiting mismatches requires total commitment to team play.

7. The offense must utilize the players' individual skills- The MJ amendment is a recognition that not all players are equal. We will use Wallace's threat to pop outside to help unclog the lane, allowing Thompson to have an easier time doing what he already made look easy, which was cutting to the basket. He will be our 1st scoring option. Parish will be our post presence, but he can focus on positioning as he will be a release valve option on offense. Pippen will help manage the offense while being our 3rd scoring option. Curry will be the brain to our offense. His presence will undoubtedly warp the defense towards him, and he will be the key decision-maker on what to do next. As with the NBA today, this is Curry's world and we are just along for the ride.


The bench will keep the machine running, though with some noticeable tweaks. Parker will play closer to the rim than Curry while still using his passing to keep the defense honest, Hawkins will attack the basket more relentlessly than Wallace. Johnson-DeBusschere-Sampson will score as the game allows and will not in any way compromise the offense, but their contributions will be most felt on the other side of the court.

Offense is our identity, but defense will provide our edge. We will stick to man-to-man mostly, relying on the usual suspects to provide good help d and hedging. Wallace is an elite p-and-r defender and his mobility will be at the heart of our post protection. Parish will provide a 7-foot hurdle to dissuade reckless drives. Pippen will play the passing lanes with his length, while looking to shut-down their key perimeter player. Curry-Thompson are willing defenders even if not their forte. Johnson-DeBusschere-Sampson will provide the defensive backbone to our team, and will be called upon to plug any holes that may spring.


Some bios here:
Steph Curry (http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-rise-of-stephen-curry/)
David Thompson (http://www.nba.com/history/thompson_bio.html)
Scottie Pippen (http://www.nba.com/history/players/pippen_bio.html)
Rasheed Wallace (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Rasheed-Wallace-4751/)
Robert Parish (http://www.nba.com/history/players/parish_bio.html)

Tony Parker (http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Parker/Parker_bio.html)
Dennis Johnson (http://www.nba.com/history/legends/dennis-johnson/)
Dave DeBusschere (http://www.nba.com/history/players/debusschere_bio.html )
Connie Hawkins (http://www.nba.com/history/players/hawkins_bio.html)
Ralph Sampson (http://www.nba.com/2012/news/features/fran_blinebury/09/04/hall-of-fame-ralph-sampson/)


You can read more about my team in the spoiler section of Owly's post above.

[JeepCSC]

Okay, here's a rundown of my initial game plan.

Point: Conley is a jack of all trades, master of none. Which is fine on a deeply talented team like this, but I won't be worrying much about Conley. He has neither the touch nor vision to be truly problematic in exploiting whatever deficiencies there are in Curry/Parker's defense. Lillard is probably better off-ball, but perhaps even less likely to bother me. Mostly Lillard/Conley will be caretaker point guards I imagine, and as such the real battle will happen elsewhere. If Conley is to be Curry's main defender, I'll chalk this up to a healthy advantage to me (probably advantage to me regardless of who is put on Curry).

Wings: This is obviously the heart of Heartbreak's offense, though fortunately the heart of my defense is here as well. Beyond the raw talent, I do wonder exactly how McGrady/Erving will quite function. Two high-usage slashing attack dogs with limited range seems to be a nightmare waiting to happen. Pippen will have his pick of which one he wants, but he will likely (at least initially) take on McGrady. His length and lateral quickness will put a crimp on the engine driving the train for Heartbreak. Thompson will be placed on Erving, who he gives up less in height to. DeBusschere will be rotated in frequently to keep the Slash Bros off-balance. Erving's' defense is solid while McGrady's is lackadaisically sufficient, but I don't see either putting much dent into Thompson's attack mode. Both McGrady and Julius will also be prone to going into a little ball-stopping mode, but when Holzman's exhortations to pass do seep in, Pippen will be there to catch any mistimed throw.

Frontcourt: This is the question mark. I have Wallace/Parish/Hawkins/Sampson, a quartet that basically can do anything needed. Rebound, defend, push tempo, score from anywhere. But can they battle a myth? The Sabonis I saw was a solid, if slow-footed, giant with range and who could pass (though was no playmaker). Peak Sabonis, if he ever existed between youth and injuries, was something different I can imagine. But how much, I do not know. Whatever else, he seems to have been a convention-defying skilled big. I personally like those kind of super-skilled bigs, I got one coming off my bench. But I will have to see how Sabonis is imagined in Heartbreak's write-up. Until I see otherwise, I'm keeping Wallace on Pettit, to blanket him whenever he gets the ball, and leave Parish to body Sabonis. Wallace will be rotating over when McGrady/Erving begin their assault on the basket. Wallace/Hawkins will have open season to attack the basket at will.

Minutes:

Point: Curry 34/ Parker 14
Wings: Pippen 35/ Thompson 30/ DeBusschere 25/Johnson 6
Bigs: Parish 34/Wallace 30/ Hawkins 18/Sampson 14

Shots attempted:

Thompson 14-16
Curry 14-16
Pippen 10-12
Wallace 10-12
Hawkins 8-10
Parish 6-8
Parker 4-6
Rest 5-10

Red Holzman built a mini-dynasty based on passing and defense. Unfortunately his team here is short on both. Basketball isn't a sport where 2+2= 4. Sometimes the numbers don't mix, and the sum is less than its parts. Peak McGrady/peak Erving are both arguably better than anyone on my team (I might argue otherwise, but). However they don't make each other better. And with no difference-makers on defense either, I feel like the game won't be as close as one would have imagined just looking at rosters.

[trex_8063]

Had to do some reading up on just what the set and options are with the triangle offense.

Anyway, Jeep has made comments about "aping the 90's Bulls" and stating he has the "70's version of Jordan"......but I frankly think he's overstating Thompson with these comments. Thompson didn't quite have Jordan's single-minded obstinateness about getting to the rim (or line), nor his ability to seemingly slip past the hand-checks at will (although in modern rules that may be different). Though if he does get to the line he's 5-6% lesser shooter there than MJ, doesn't have MJ's mid-range game, and doesn't have MJ's vision and passing. So there are many ways in which Thompson falls short of Jordan (or even Kobe) on offense.

However, Curry is probably going to be the guy the offense functions thru/for as much (or more) than Thompson anyway. He also has a much more reliable low-post scorer in Parish than Jordan ever had, too.

I don't think there's a snowball's chance in you know where for Rasheed Wallace to fill Grant's shoes as an offensive rebounder; rebounding was always the most suspect aspect of Sheed's game, and his ability to specifically hit the offensive glass is going to be further impaired (relative to Horace Grant) by the likelihood of often finding him further from the hoop--->I should think part of his value is to spread the floor and hit some treys; so his position in the triangle I would think would often be 2-3 ft further from the hoop than Grant typically was.
So I'm not sure how well he "apes" Grant's role. However, Parish was an outstanding offensive rebounder, so he can likely fill the gap for that particular Sheed deficiency. Otherwise, Wallace does provide that extra spreading of the floor (open the lanes for Thompson), and a better post threat than Grant was. Unsure if he's as reliable a passer as Grant (underrated aspect of Grant's game, imo), but probably reasonably close.

I do worry about his offense a bit when his 2nd unit is in (though obv they generally won't be in as a 5-man unit, and he doesn't express intention for them to get big minutes, except for DeBusschere).
Anyway, the issues I see are that DeBusschere might be his best outside shooter of the bunch (and it's a bit of question mark.....would he be a relevant 3pt shooter in modern game???). Parker's not really even a mediocre 3pt shooter, nor is DJ. So spacing appears problematic with the 2nd unit, and they don't have what I would necessarily call a "dominant" scorer with that squad.
I think Jeep over-romanticizes Sampson's offense at least a little; he was a guy who was turnover prone and perhaps tended toward jumpers or other higher degree of difficulty shots more than advisable.
All that being said, Jeep at least appears to have the right idea about who will be the primary scorers of his 2nd unit: Parker and Hawkins, both of whom can attack the rim and hit in the mid-range. Can also give it to Hawkins in the post or find him for oops and such (with his long-a** arms he's really closer to a 6'9" or 6'10" guy in length, with giant hands too).

Although Wallace isn't much of a rebounder for a PF/C, Parish is an excellent (borderline elite) rebounding center, Pippen is pretty much an elite level rebounding SF, DeBusschere is an elite level rebounder for a SF/PF, Hawkins is an elite level rebounding combo forward, too. Sampson is a very good to excellent rebounder, and DJ (when in) gives good rebounding from the guard position, too.
With that, plus at least adequate shot-blocking (Parish/Wallace/Sampson/Hawkins), and Pippen playing passing lanes and picking pockets......Jeep should have more than adequate transition opportunities, for which he's got ample runners and finishers: Thompson is elite in this regard; Pippen is an elite runner, finisher, or facilitator in the fast-break; Parish is an excellent floor-running true 7-footer who can finish, Sampson as well; Hawkins can run and finish (or heck, even pass); Curry can pass, stop-and-pop a trey, or spot up in transition.
In short his transition game should be excellent.

Defensively, I think Jeep is might be overstating things somewhat. I do think he'll have more trouble containing McGrady/Erving than he's implied. Thompson is his best scoring wing, and obviously he's going to have him on the court often; and while not a bad defender, he is Jeep's weakest wing defender (probably by a good margin). If he switches Pippen on to Tmac, I think Thompson will have difficulty containing Erving (especially since he's giving up close to 3" in length).


Well.......I've unloaded a hodge-podge of compliment and criticism upon Jeep's team (and perhaps more criticism than compliment). So one might be thinking I'm about to cast a vote for another upset; but that's actually not the case.

While I'm not sure I entirely believe in his vision, and I think he to some degree views his squad thru rose-colored glasses.......I'll say this for Jeep: he does at least have a clear vision and direction for his team, more so than the vast majority of us in this tournament. And he does (or should) have decent defense, good rebounding, excellent transition potential, and more than reasonable half-court offense.

With HBK's team, otoh, we don't really know what his vision or plan is for this squad; and looking at the line-up I'm having a little trouble making one up for him. I can only assume Tmac is going to be the primary, followed by Erving, and everyone else is just going to play off of them.

But relative to the teams we have in this tournament, I'd rate his 3pt shooting and playmaking as mediocre at best.
He's also got multiple question marks in his line-up:
1) Arvydas Sabonis. It's like Jeep said: how do you battle a myth? We all know what the version of Sabonis who actually did play in the NBA was......but what I gleaned from that section of the draft thread was that we were looking at actual prime/peak Sabonis for purposes of this tournament. How many of us actually have a great idea of what that is? I've seen very limited highlight reel footage and heard some impressive anecdotal stuff. That's about it. Seems like this could be sort of a "diet Dirk Nowitzki" on offense, with better interior defense. But I must temper that opinion with a touch of skepticism (or at least caution), just because of the lack of reliable info.
2) Bob Pettit. How will he translate into the modern game, and against mostly modern all-time greats?
3) Paul Arizin. Same question as for Pettit.
4) George Mikan. Same question as for Pettit and Arizin. Mikan I've actually thought a lot about in this regard. Based on similarities in size and athleticism, as well as certain skill-sets, I've tended to think Mikan in a modern-ish game would be similar to Jeff Ruland, but with better rim protection, +/- slightly lesser rebounding (though one other big plus: he'd be more healthy/durable; hopefully less prone to get himself called for offensive fouls, too). But it is highly speculative. HBK took a big risk with drafting THREE guys who played primarily in the 50's (plus one modern "myth").

Between Sabonis, Mikan, Oakley, and Erving, his rebounding should be decent (even if Pettit and Arizin are question marks in this regard). I'm not terribly impressed by his transition prospects, though. Aside from Dr. J, I'm not seeing a ton in the way of great runners and finishers (Tmac pretty good, I guess); unsure how solid his shot-blocking will be (again: both "peak" Sabonis and Mikan are question marks).

Defensively his starting line-up looks OK, but this bench looks kinda weak. Oakley's the only bench player I have solid confidence in as a defender. I think Mikan will be a fair rim protector and good defensive rebounder and low post defender, but I have serious doubts about his ability to defend a pnr. The other 3 on his bench are non-impressive to me defensively (not necessarily bad---though I have doubts about Arizin---just not at all special).


Overall, I gotta vote: Team JeepCSC.

[JeepCSC]

Well, Thompson is certainly not Jordan. But then Curry is not Paxson, so it was more in spirit than exactness that I reimagined the Bulls. Thompson will do what he is best at, scoring. The Triangle will set him up, and allow him an escape route if he gets bogged down. He will be the offensive attack dog that will force teams to react with his mid-range shots and his driving towards the basket. Some of Jordan's other attributes will be picked up elsewhere. And Wallace's rebounding is very much an issue, really the only one I truly have with him. But for now, I think I'm good with Parish and the bench. I'm not positive because I have very little to go on with my opponent's front court.

That said, good break down. Much obliged.

[Owly]

HeartbreakKidd has a lot of dominant, productive players. If we were measuring dominance versus peers, Mikan, Pettit and Arizin would be monsters. Alas we are not. And it's difficult not to have concerns about how they translate to the modern game, more so versus this elite level of competition.

My natural inclination is to be bullish on Sabonis (he did after all post a 24.7 PER; .233 WS/48; 5.6 BPM season as broken down 31 year old and at least held his own against elite American talents - in '82 at 17 versus Sampson and then in '88 versus Robinson). Given his passing skill and solid spacing and imagining him with greater agility for D, there's a lot to like for this type of league. Still like Trex there's an element of caution about how far you can go without large samples of footage, without strong knowledge of competition levels, without stats for quite chunk of his career and without even knowing the years selected.

McGrady and Erving too are supremely talented if somewhat similar. Both could certainly fill a boxscore (indeed they each have the rare distinction of leading their team in ppg, rpg, apg, spg and bpg in the same year, Erving doing so in the ABA), are athletic, have high potential as defenders (Erving hard to gauge - Bill Simmons fwiw maligns him at this end, he had some criticisms as a gambler at the time, I think his +/- numbers weren't that great but on the other hand, his boxscore numbers are pretty great and I think there are those on here more bullish about his D on here, I think specifically ABA era which I'd assume is the version playing here, though I can't seem to locate the post(s)) though not necessarily superb reputations on that end. There's great potential for elite wing productivity/performance here, but without the team's GM explaining/pitching how it would work it looks like another question mark (how do they defend, do they both need the ball).

I might have been tempted to vote for the team despite concerns with even a general writeup. As it is, with so many questions, it would be very hard to do so.

Jeep's team has weaknesses/oversells many covered above already by Trex, but I think they're the winners here. I'll add some thoughts I'll try to add thoughts not already articulated.

+ves
- D (particularly a mobile, better than their boxscore, starting frontcourt D)
- Looks like a "real" team, with roles etc
- solid spacing from the bigs (Parish reliable range to 12 feet with that unblockable baseline turnaround, Rasheed in particular, DeBusschere anecdotally though fg and ft% unremarkable, Sampson certainly willing)

-ves (versus league norms) some are picky
- One (if not the) weakest teams at drawing fouls. - And perhaps as a result not great offensive efficiency.
- Starters rebounding (Sheed hurts the first 5 here substantially)
- Overall boxscore productivity (advanced boxscore-type metrics suggest a team average or below in this league, though as noted Pippen and Sheed better than boxscore on D)
- Maybe some mentality issues (Sheed a tech magnet; Pippen considered by some to be soft, and issues like sitting out versus the Knicks, non-performance in G7 versus Lakers; Parish consistently diminished in the playoffs despite not being a focus of opposing defenses; Thompson, well, alcohol and drugs) and questions whether Tex can deal with that as a Head Coach (obviously Elvin Hayes isn't a fair barometer). Not sure on this one, it isn't a headcases thing, just niggling little concerns.

Vote: JeepCSC

[trex_8063]

Thru post #7:

JeepCSC (2) - trex_8063, Owly

HeartbreakKidd (0)